‘Madagascar 3’ Heading to $500M at Overseas Box Office

Remember “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted”? Apparently those rainbow wigs travel well, because Paramount’s animated kids movie is still making money in its 18th week. It added $23.3 million from 29 markets during the past week.

It opened No. 1 in Germany with $15.4 million and in Austria, with $1.3 million. Its fourth weekend in Australia’s brought in another $3.5 million raising its overall total in that country to $22.4 million.

“Madagascar 3” has a good shot at $500 million internationally. Its overseas gross now stands at $451 million and it will open in the U.K., its final foreign destination, in two weeks.

The weekend’s overall international leader was easily “Taken 2,” which brought in $55 million from 50 markets and was tops in most markets in which it debuted. Fox is sharing the international distribution rights with EuropaCorp, which is handling 22 of the 50 foreign territories.

The sequel is outperforming the original film in many markets, especially in the U.K. where “Taken 2” earned more in its opening weekend with $12.1 million (including previews) than the entire run ($11 million) of the original. Australia came in next highest with $8.2 million, which is Fox's biggest opening weekend of the year there.

EuropaCorp’s markets brought in about $16 million, led by France’s $8.4 million.

“Taken 2” has brought in $67 million overseas, which includes last week's release in South Korea where the total gross is now at $13.8 million, Fox's biggest release of the year there.

In its second weekend, Sony’s “Hotel Transylvania” brought in an estimated $13.1 in 22 markets, bringing the international total to $29.3 and the worldwide gross to $105.3 million.

Another Sony movie, “Resident Evil: Retribution,” took in another $12.3 million in its fourth weekend overseas, raising its international to $159.6 million and its worldwide total to $200.7 million.

Universal's "Ted" kept talking trash in 46 foreign markets and added another $12 million. That ups its overall international gross to $233 million and its worldwide total to $451.2 million.